Save the trolley line to Selah! 🍎🚋
Friends and supporters: Tonight’s Yakima City Council meeting is an important moment for the future of Yakima's trolleys and the Selah line. If you’ve been lingering on the sidelines, please make this the moment you get involved. The public’s voices in January helped secure a new trolley operating agreement and now an even bigger turnout is needed to keep the Selah line alive.
❓ What’s happening?
City Council is considering whether to remove the trolley tracks from the scope of the 6th Avenue rebuild project.
- About $8M without trolley infrastructure
- About $15M with tracks and overhead wire included
Once removed, the connection to Selah and the interurban character that makes our system unique could be lost for good.
💬 What are we asking for?
We are not asking the City for a blank check. We’re simply asking Council to leave the tracks in scope for now and allow time to pursue grants, partnerships, and private fundraising.
There are many outside funding opportunities that have not yet been fully explored. Preserving the Selah line strengthens Yakima’s tourism economy and our National Historic Landmark potential.
🌎 Why it matters
Visitors ask about the Selah route constantly. It’s one of our valley’s strongest tourism assets! Keeping the interurban connection intact is key to economic development and national recognition.
Even the base $8M road project is quite significant for this quiet stretch of road, and many believe higher-priority needs exist elsewhere across the city.
🙌 How you can help (in order of impact)
1️⃣ Speak at Council tonight
📍 Yakima City Hall
🕔 Arrive around 5:00 PM
🕠 Meeting starts at 5:30 PM
Submit a speaker slip for Agenda Item 8A.
📅 Click here to add it to your calendar to remember
2️⃣ Show up and wear a trolley sticker
Even sitting in the audience sends a strong message of community support!
📅 Click here to add it to your calendar to remember
3️⃣ Join via Zoom
Click here to submit your request to comment before 3 PM Pacific today
4️⃣ Email Council
If you can’t attend, click here or send a message directly to ccou...@yakimawa.gov
Yakima Valley Trolleys recognizes the fiscal challenges facing the City. Our suggestion is simple: allow time to bring outside funding to the table and keep this historic interurban connection alive.
If you care about Yakima’s history, tourism future, and the Selah line, tonight is the time to show it!
